Circles
by rosefields
Summary: What would have happened if Steve was the one who found the dead guy/ Tag to 1x23, established Steve/Danny. (For the purpose of this story the 5-0 team is well established. Steve and Danny have been engaged for roughly three months.)


What would have happened if Steve was the one who found the dead guy/ Tag to 1x23, established Steve/Danny. (For the purpose of this story the 5-0 team is well established. Steve and Danny have been engaged for roughly three months.)So this somehow became more of a Danny character study than anything, I actually liked how it ended up. Be sure to check out the latest chapter of Mua Hala! Enjoy!  
Rose xx

* * *

Danny's talking to Jenna when he hears the wheezing coming from somewhere behind him. Turning quickly, he thinks he shouldn't be surprised it's Steve who's coughing. Shouldn't be surprised it's Steve who's sliding down the wall in the entranceway, hands scrabbling at the bulletproof vest that looks like it hasn't done shit because apparently Steve's managed to get himself hit anyway. He's sprinting before the other' worried shouts register, skidding to a stop before his partner, feeling over him for the inevitable stickiness of blood.

"Steve where are you hit?"

The SEAL's blue eyes meet his and worse than any blood Danny is yet to feel is the fear that glazes the normally vibrant colour. "No, no." Another wheezing, gasping breath. "But something's not right. I can't breathe." Steve's scrabbling at his chest with panic Danny's never seen before.

"Guys his pulse is weak." Jenna's got her hand over Steve's carotid as Kono stands up, phone in hand.

"Alright, I'll call an ambulance."

"My chest, I dunno, I can't breathe." He breaks off into a coughing fit, weak gasps of air coming from lips that have quickly dried out in their owner's desperate bid for air. Danny is quick to move a hand to his back, running it up and down in what he hoped is a comforting motion.

Chin places his own hand on Steve's shoulder. "Alright, we've got help on the way, okay?"

Steve nods but Danny can see his strength is already fading.

"Can you tell us what happened babe?" He moves his hand to Steve's brow, smoothing his hand over the creased forehead.

"Ah, there's a body, no pulse." Steve's tapping at his own chest as he speaks, each word clearly an effort. Jenna takes off without a word and Steve's ever protective gaze follows her. Knowing his partner won't calm down with the rookie off in a potentially dangerous situation by himself, Danny manages to tear himself away. He casts a glance at Chin.

"Stay with him."

The older man nods and Danny takes off towards the house, following the rogue rookie.

* * *

Once in the house he quickly sees the body that sparked Steve's curiosity. He goes to approach but is Jenna throws out an arm, the other up covering her nose and mouth.

"Stop, stop right there."

"What, what is it?" He asks, wanting to get closer so he can figure out whatever it is that's caused his normally strong partner to be felled as if by a wrecking ball.

"I don't know. But whatever He died from, it might be biological. We have to get Steve to a hospital right now."

He goes to ask another question but the faint sound of Kono's voice reaches them.

"Danny, over here!" There's a note of terror in her voice and once again he is moving towards Steve as fast as his cursedly short legs will allow.

* * *

Even before he can clearly see his partner he can tell he's gotten worse. The wheezing is louder and there are no unrestricted breaths breaking them up any more. Chin looks up to him, all composure, but Danny can see traces of fear underlying it.

"He's starting to convulse." And Steve is, shakes wracking through his frame, eyes fluttering closed, too short breaths coming from lips going blue. There's sweat beading at his temples and across his upper lip. The tiny hints of his eyes Danny can see are unfocused.

"Hey Steve stay with me, Steve, babe, please stay with me!" He grips Steve's shoulders as he shakes, watched his eyes flutter shut. The approaching sirens cannot arrive fast enough.

Danny is forced to watch Steve shake and shudder for what feels like hours, but is probably seconds, before an emergency team roll in. Their professional hands gently push Danny back. With practised ease they have him on oxygen and strapped to a stretcher in less than three minutes, vital signs being measured and though they never once run or panic, as they head towards the waiting ambulance Danny has to jog to keep up with their brisk pace. Two crew members slide in the back of the rig with Steve, the third moves to the driver's seat, lights and sirens quickly flicked back on.

"If you're coming, get in now." The no-nonsense tone of the older of the two paramedics has Danny jumping into action, sliding into the final vacant seat. The doors slam shut, and they take off. The hand Danny reaches for Steve's is batted away as the paramedics continue to monitor him. It hurts almost as much as watching his lover struggling to breathe.

* * *

They pull up into the emergency bay, and the doors spill open, light from Hawaii's godforsaken eternal summer lasting Danny straight in the face. Doctors swarm them and Danny is once again jogging to keep up as they move through the corridors. The paramedics are filling the new team in on their patient.

"Bp is 72/40, breathing is slow and shallow." The doctor utters an acknowledgement and addresses Danny.

"How long was his last exposure?"

"20, 30 minutes maybe?"

Another voice. "Do we know what kind of toxin we're dealing with?"

Danny knows the question is once again for him. "I don't know, the team's still working on it."

The doctor looks strained, glances from the engagement ring on Danny's finger to the matching one on Steve. He hesitates as the stretched goes through a set of doors Danny knows he cannot follow through.

"They better hurry, because I don't know how much time he has." And then Steve is gone and Danny is left with nothing to do but wait.

* * *

He's been in the waiting room for nearing an hour when his phone rings. The nurse at the reception desk glares at him but raises a hand in surrender when Dany gestures to his badge.

"Please tell me you have something." Danny knows he's begging. He no longer cares.

Jenna's voice on the other end of the phone is surprising.

"Tell them it's sarin and they need to get him on pralidoxime right away."

Danny doesn't wait for an explanation, hangs up and racing towards the doors to emergency even as the nurses once again yell at him. He doesn't stop. The doctors themselves have said Steve may not have much time.

Ten minutes later Danny has once again been kicked out into the waiting room. He waits anxiously, forcing himself to sit because he knows otherwise he will wear the soles of his shoes thin. Another hour passes, with the blonde getting updates on the case of the dead man (whose name Danny has already forgotten) periodically. Finally, a haggard looking man Danny recognises as the doctor from the emergency bay walks out. His eyes meet Danny's and h hurries over.

"Detective Williams we need you right now."

Dann doesn't hesitate, following the man back through the doors. "Is he okay? What's going on?"

"We're administering the drugs, but he's woken. We don't want to sedate him due to the state of his lungs but he's panicking. He's been calling for you and we're hoping your presence will calm him."

They turn into a private room, one of the perks of being law enforcement, and Danny can immediately see the problem. Steve's straining to sit up, hoarse words muffled by an oxygen mask he's trying to wrestle off. The worst part of the whole situation are the tears slowly slipping down his face. Danny rushes to his bedside, a hand quickly holding the one of Steve's trying to pry off the mask. His other hand eases Steve back onto the bed and he gazes into eyes clouded with fear, confusion and pain.

"Hey, babe. What's all this panickin' huh?" He knows the slip back towards his heavier jersey accent always calms Steve and he consciously begins to drop his g's. Steve's eyes meet his, recognition behind the haze. His body sags slightly. Satisfied he's not going anywhere, Danny moves the hand pinning Steve to his face, brushing away the sweat and tears there. His other hand relaxes, curling their fingers together, rings clicking together gently.

"Shh babe, that right. Rest now." Steve tenses slightly, goes to speak. Danny runs another hand over his head, fingers curling into his hair, leaning down to let his breath warm Steve's neck.

"Shh. Rest." Steve's eyes flutter, they close. He rests.

The second the doctors deem Steve out enough for Danny to leave without disturbing him, he's kicked out. He feels useless for a second until he remembers it's nearing three and Grace is meant to be with him this weekend. Quickly telling a doctor who doesn't really care that he will e back he jogs back out to the parking lot, soon realising he has no way to get away. It takes seconds for Kamekona to agree to pick him up, minutes until he's back at the palace and thanking the man, turning the keys for the Camaro and thanking the big man. He pulls away from the curb, realising it's the first time in a while he's driven his own car. The thought makes his heart ache.

* * *

Grace walks down the stairs the way only a child can; each step like a fall as her height restricts her legs from making the full connection between each step. She scans the crowd, looking between cars and milling parents. Her eyes land on Danny and her face lights up, eyes larger than the moon and brighter than the sun.

She races towards him, and the crappy quality of the day has Danny foregoing telling her off for not looking both ways before crossing to pull her into a hug.

"Danno! I thought Uncle Steve was meant to get me today?" It's times like this Danny wishes his daughter had inherited his loose mindedness rather than her mother's keen eye for details.

"Uncle Steve's a little sick, monkey." He takes a breath. "They've taken him to the hospital but-" he holds up a finger, halting the worried question he can see forming on his daughter's lips, "-he's going to be just fine once he's had a little bit of sleep, okay?" The young girl nods, and Danny takes a second to pull her into another hug.

* * *

The pair waits in the corridor to Steve's room. Kono, Chin and Jenna have told him they have a hold on the case without him, told him to stay with Steve until he's yelling at Danny to get back to work.

"He's ready for some visitors now." Both Danny and Grace look up, not having noticed the doctor approach. As soon as the comment registers they both shoot up, already making their way towards the door. Danny pushes it open slowly, letting Grace in. He glances towards the bed. To his slight disappointment, the oxygen mask still obscures Steve's face, as well as the fact his eyes are closed, and his breathing is even.

"I think he's asleep Monkey." His voice is low but apparently still loud enough for his partner to hear because Steve's head turns, eyes cracking open and landing on Grace, a smile breaking out.

"Gracie, c'mere."

"Uncle Steve." The young girl flings herself up onto the bed, burrowing herself into Steve's side. He places a hand on her head, settling in for a stretch while Grace hugs out her fear. He gazes over her head to Danny, smiling, before his eyes slip closed into sleep.

* * *

Danny and Grace draw circles. Grace's are the sun, the volleyball on the beach in her picture, the pink crayon heads of her Ohana. Danny's are precise patterns traces on the palm of Steve's hand. The oxygen mask has been removed from Steve's face, replaced with a cannula, and the creases in his brown have relaxed with sleep. His watch shows it is nearing six o'clock. It's Friday, so Danny will let Grace spend the night on the couch on the other side of the room. He'll call Kono soon, ask her to bring pyjamas and dinner for his daughter, along with her favourite stuffed sea lion (aptly named Steve-o). he himself will spend the night in the chair by Steve's bedside, holding his lover's hand. In the morning, when Steve's feeling better and begging to be discharged, Danny will bitch and moan about the crick in his neck and Grace will laugh and Steve will smile. But all that can wait. For now, Grace draws her circles and Danny draws his, feeling the warmth of Steve's hand that means he's alive.

* * *

Hope you liked it! Let me know xx


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